Shattered
by Adina Mizu
Summary: Leon and Cloud had been very busy for a while and hadn't had much time for each other. Leon catches Cloud doing something that breaks his heart and kicks him out,But what's Cloud's side of the events?


Shattered

It was early spring and the air smelt of the various flowers that were blooming around the town. It was a beautiful sight, all the early flowers sprouting from all the tiny crevices and windows around the small city. Aerith, the floral queen, was even planning a spring celebration in the castle hall that had been cleared out over the winter. The party was going to be used as a fundraiser for further repairs on the city, which no one could argue against.

And so Leon found himself working overtime at the castle fixing railings, overseeing electrical repairs among other things. Cloud didn't have it easy either. He was sent all over the city picking up deliveries for the party and other 'small' favors for the Cetra. The two didn't have much time for each other during the day and were far to tired to do anything besides sleep at night. That's perhaps where it started. The shattering.

Leon was usually gone by the time Cloud woke up, the coffee already made for him. As the week had progressed the two had even dropped eating lunch together in favor of getting more work done. Dinner together seemed more of a chore before bed rather then 'quality time'. By Friday the two didn't say more than eight words to each other the whole day, and the words that _were_ spoken were simple directions for where to place party supplies.

Three weeks later the hall was fixed, decorated and ready to go. Aerith had been ecstatic and went around the town taking a count of who was going, who had dates and who didn't, etc. That's when the question came up between them. When the whole idea of the party had been solidified it was obvious they'd be going together, but now…

It was odd, but the blond had actually asked Leon if he was still interested in going together. What was the other option? Leon had trouble falling asleep that night, wondering why Cloud had asked that.

'We still going together?'

What was Cloud thinking? Parties may not have been his thing, but they had both promised Aerith to be there. And who else was there to go with? They were_ together,_ damn it! These thoughts plagued the brunet into the early morning. Cloud, however, had slept rather soundly.

The night of the party wheeled around Leon and Cloud both had actually dressed in semi-formal party attire, picked out by Tifa and Aerith together. The two were placed beside one other at their given table with Sora, Riku and Cid. Even now the two weren't really talking to one other, though neither one knew why. No one at the table seemed to notice. Yea, both men were on the quiet side, but they still socialized from time to time. If not with others than to each other, at the very least to pass the time.

Cloud left the table to grab another drink, of which he'd already had two. It wasn't like him to drink so much, especially in public. The reason why had been found out through a rather 'fun' adventure, and yet here he was drinking like it was the most natural thing for him to do. Leon on the other hand, didn't drink at all. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to even really register the party around him. He didn't know why, but something inside him felt off.

Cloud had been gone for some time now and Leon_ needed_ to speak with him. He needed to figure out what was going on between them. Why Cloud had asked that question. He scanned the room as best he could, but it was packed and surprisingly there were quite a few blonds. He checked the bar and balcony, but found no sign of Cloud anywhere. He highly doubted he's be on the dance floor, but as a last option he checked it anyway. Once again the number of blonds in a twisting twirling motion made it hard for Leon to determine if Cloud was there or not.

With a heavy sigh Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. Parties were never his thing. They were loud, crowded, and generally a waste of time. He needed to get away from the noise for just a minute, clear his head. The balcony was crowded with couples in the midst of making out and thus he took refuge where loud noises had no business being, in the bathroom.

Rinsing his face Leon sighed heavily leaning over the sink. Cloud was no where to be found and Leon was seriously wondering if the blond had perhaps ditched the party altogether and gone home. Which sounded like a good idea to the brunet right now. Even more so when 'certain' sounds drifted from one of the bathroom stalls. It wasn't uncommon for this act to be taking place, especially during a big party the had an open bar.

Unfortunately the party was for all ages and Leon was obligated to break it up before a kid came in and was potentially scarred for life by the sounds. Standing straight once more Leon made his way down to the stall where the noises were coming from. But before he knocked on the door he stopped short. As odd as it was, he stopped to listen for a moment. It was a groan, one he knew very well.

His heart lurched into his chest and he found it hard to breath. His body was stiff as another familiar moan was emitted on the other side of the door. Leon gently placed his hand on the door instead of knocking now. Finding that the lock had been neglected, he was able to push the door open just enough to glance inside. The sight that assaulted him made his heart freeze.

There in the stall Cloud was pressed against the wall, his face flush. On his neck was another man, his hands were moving over Cloud's body. Slipping under the black tux and sliding down one of his legs. Leon didn't wait to see where it was going. He turned abruptly and left the bathroom. He moved quickly through the crowds of people that were still dancing happily around the ballroom. He didn't look at anyone as he made his way towards the doors.

The party was far behind him now as he pushed the door to his currently dark and empty home open. He entered quietly and made his way to the living room. Once seated on the couch him mind seemed to catch up with him. He was always stoic and aloof, it was a skill he had perfected at a young age and took pride in. But now, being alone in his own home he felt himself breakdown on the inside. All it took was the first sharp inhalation to trigger the shaking and tears as what he saw fully sank in.

Cloud was with another man, while _they_ were together at a party. He had willingly gone off from being at _his_ side to be with another guy in a _bathroom_. Cloud had _let_ the other guy _all over_ him. His neck, his legs, and...

Leon struggled to catch his breath, his head in his hands as he shook in the dark on the couch. It hurt him deeply, it shattered his heart to think Cloud had actually gone off and...

Once he was able to regain control of his body he took deep breaths to keep his cool. He sat there for nearly an hour before getting to his feet. He had work to do.

When Cloud made his way home it was late. He had stayed at the party longer than he had intended and when he had gone to find Leon in order to leave he found the brunet was impossible to locate. Eventually the party itself began to disperse and it became clear that Leon had already left. When he reached the house he was surprised and confused to find boxes outside the door. They had his name written cleanly on them. Opening the one on top Cloud found his belongings had been packed away neatly inside.

Cloud moved to the door only to find it was locked and the spare key had been removed from it's hiding place. He knocked loudly and called Leon's name but there was no reply. Cloud banged on the door and called Leon's name for the next hour, ignoring the fact that it was very late and people were in fact trying to sleep. Eventually seeing that he wasn't getting a response Cloud turned and sat beside the door. He didn't have enough cash on him for a hotel room and frankly he was too tired now to hoof it to the nearest hotel anyway. It was warm enough to sleep where he was, and Leon would have to pass him to get to work tomorrow.


End file.
